Gossip Girl

Title: Gossip Girl
Author: Cecily von Ziegesar
Publishing Date: 2002

Gossip Girl, the first installment in Cecily von Ziegesar’s bestselling teen series, is hailed “Sex and the City for the younger set”. Ziegesar, a former Manhattan prepster herself, introduces us to the notorious A-listers who run the scene at their elite private schools. Don’t be fooled by their prim and proper polos and cashmere cardigans; these Upper East Siders are far from innocent. They can smoke, drink, do drugs, have sex and party till no end, just as long as they get good grades to satisfy their parents and warrant their shiny Ivy League futures.

Blair Waldorf is rich, attractive and dating the enviable Nate Archibald from Riverside Prep School for Boys. She’s the most popular girl at Constance Billard; that is until her ex-best friend Serena van der Woodsen unexpectantaly returns from boarding school to stir up trouble and shatter Blair’s perfect world. Determined to protect her coveted position in the social stratum, Blair feels genuinely threatened and rightfully so- for Serena isn’t your typical high school junior. She is undeniably beautiful, the former queen bee at Constance. Her glossy hair always falls effortlessly into place, while her blond highlights mock those who spend hours at Bergdorf’s trying to emulate her natural brilliance. Whenever Serena is present, the spotlight is perpetually fixated on her, while Blair blatantly fades into the background. What makes matters worse is that Nate is in love with Serena, not surprising; given that every heterosexual male would instantaneously give up a kidney to sleep with her.

Serena returns to Constance under the impression that things would pick up right where they’d left off. But her expectations fall short when Blair fails to bring out the welcome wagon and ignores her with a jealous wrath. Can Blair and Serena’s friendship ever return to normal? Will Nate choose Blair or Serena- or both? Love triangles will intensify, allegiances will be tested and cliques will collide as vicious gossip and drama devour all.

Gossip Girl seems to be marketed towards the “tween” audience, where the allure of older high schoolers is particularly powerful. If I had an 11 year old daughter, I would have pretty strong reservations about allowing her to read these types of books. The book is littered with profanity, promotes bulimia and references smoking, drinking, drugs (Did you know that a mixture of Comet, cinnamon and instant coffee can be used as a substitute for speed? Well, at least they’re… creative?) and promiscuous sex. One chapter is titled, “An Hour of Sex Burns 360 Calories”. The girls are perpetual chain smokers; Serena lightly proclaims, “They’re kind of strong, but the box is too cool, I don’t care”. Perhaps Ziegesar has stock in Philip Morris. They frequent bars and clubs and are never once carded, even though they’re at least 5 years underage. This is definitely not appropriate material for 11 year olds looking to emulate older “role models”.

So I can see how young adults would be easily drawn to this series; it’s addictive and full of all the racy content and bitchy high school drama that is oddly enjoyable. It’s a fast read (or should be, considering it’s at a 7th grade reading level) and I enjoyed the occasional blog posting format. An undisclosed insider reveals detailed threads of gossip about their peers, simply referring to people by their first initial and signing off as “Gossip Girl”. I’ve only read the first few books in this series, but I believe there are around eleven of them now. It was somewhat disappointing to hear that a ghostwriter has been writing the latter versions because Ziegesar was too busy concentrating on the It Girl series. Josh Schwartz, creator of The O.C. is teaming up with the new CW to premiere a Gossip Girl TV series. Actress Blake Lively, from Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is set to portray the renowned Serena van der Woodsen.

Recommendation:
An addictively raw and fast read. Particularly entertaining and suitable for adults, who’ll find the absurdity of these teens lives rather amusing and somewhat humorous. The content may be about young adults, but I would argue that it’s just not appropriate for those under 14 years of age to be reading.

Average Rating: 7.2/10

Rating System:
Plot Development: 8/10
Character Development: 6/10
Originality: 8/10
Format: 9/10
Complexity: 6/10
Humor: 6/10

The Nanny Diaries

Title: The Nanny Diaries
Author: Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus
Publishing Date: 2002

Co written by ex- Park Avenue nannies, Emma Mc Laughlin and Nicola Kraus, The Nanny Diaries divulges the fanatic practices of childcare within the socialite-clad ranks of Manhattan society. Nanny, an NYU senior struggling to make rent, takes on the demanding task of caring for the X family’s spoiled four-year-old son, Grayer. Nan’s patience is pushed to the limit as she endures 16 hour shifts following Mrs. X’s finicky rules and inexhaustible demands.

Nan must do everything from bathing and dressing Grayer, to escorting him to prestigious play dates, dance, swimming, karate, piano and French lessons. His gourmet meals must be specifically sanctioned for “maximum digestive ease” which basically excludes anything that isn’t low-fat, organic or soy. Carbohydrates are strictly prohibited before bedtime and the cardinal rule for Park Avenue children must be adhered to: There is absolutely NO FOOD OUTSIDE THE KITCHEN… EVER!!!

In addition to a nanny, Mrs. X has also acquired a personal slave. She has Nan running her trifling errands; preparing lavish gift bags and consulting with caterers because her schedule is “utterly swamped”. Yes, Mrs. X’s days are overwhelmingly busy. Her calendar perpetually reads: shopping, attend dinner party, host dinner party, recuperate at Bliss, shopping, shopping and… shopping. These self-absorbed Park Avenue “housewives” would never think of working, cooking, cleaning or raising their children- after all, what are nannies are for? The extent of their parenting includes 1.) Naming the child 2.) Giving birth 3.) Hiring a nanny.

As Nan’s affection for Grayer begins to grow, she realizes that she may be his only hope of receiving the proper love and attention that he needs. Should she relieve herself from this madness and quit, or stay for the sake of a four-year-old boy who so desperately needs her?

First of all, I do hope that these tales were indeed “loosely inspired” as the authors so claim. Otherwise, we should all be very, very worried about the future of these children and altruistically aspire to be nannies. Well, that or alert child services. The Nanny Diaries does an excellent job of embracing the lackluster lives of these narcissistic women who have the audacity to call themselves good mothers. Nan’s dry and sartorial sense of humor is entertaining, but for some reason you don’t feel quite as sorry for her as you should. Nan’s relationships with characters other than the Xs are somewhat confusing and left me with a detached feeling. I thoroughly enjoyed the bit where she boldly addresses that furtive Nanny Cam. The general tone of the story isn’t as comical as I had expected, but it works out fine. It’s just sad that some parents are so self involved and clueless of their child’s suffering. I’m looking forward to the movie coming out this September.

Recommendation:
If you’re a fan of The Devil Wears Prada, I think you’d really enjoy this book as well. The storylines are somewhat similar; the main character is burdened by the outrageous demands of her impeding boss, but is forced to withstand the mistreatment for a higher cause.

Average Rating: 8.7/10

Rating System:
Plot Development: 9/10
Character Development: 7/10
Originality: 10/10
Format: 10/10
Complexity: 9/10
Humor: 7/10